Folding seat.



J. A. BAWTINHIMER & D. L. MILLER.

FOLDING SEAT.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAR. 12. I917.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

WIT/M55555.

air earns T @FFTQ.

JOHN ALVIN BAWTINHIMER AND DAVID L. MILLER, OF BRAN'IFORD, O1\T TARIO,

. CANADA.

FOLDING SEAT.

masher.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 191?.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN A. BAWTIN- HIMER and DAVID L. MILLER, of thecity of Brantford, in the county of Brant, Province of Ontario, Canada,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Seats, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seats which automatically fold up when not inuse, and our object is to devise a seat of this kind which will besimple, strong and cheap to build, and which may be used either with orwith out arms and a folding back.

We attain our object by means of the con structions hereinafterdescribed and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichFigure l is a side elevation of a seat con structed in accordance withour invention and having the seat down; i

Fig. 2 a similar view with the seat and back folded;

Fig. 8 a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 a detail of the spring hinge between the back frame and itssupporting bracket; and

Fig. 5 a detail of the spring means for turning up the seat.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin the different figures.

1 is a standard, preferably formed of a metal tube, and provided withany suitable means for securing it to a floor. A cross bar 2, preferablyof metal tubing, is connected by means of a T 3 to the upper end of thestandard.

4 is a seat bracket secured to the under side of the seat 5 and providedwith apertured lugs or hinge knuckles 6 which have bearings on the crossbar 2. The seat may thus be easily turned down to the position shown inFig. 1 or turned up to the position shown in Fig. 2.

To automatically turn the seat up we provide a coil spring 7 located onone arm of the cross bar 2 and engaged at one end with the seatbracket 1. The other end is engaged in a collar 8 rotarily adjustable onthe cross bar and adapted to be held as adjusted by means of a cotterpin 9 adapted to be passed through any one of a plurality of holes inthe collar and through a suitable hole in the cross bar. The tension ofthe spring may thus be readily adjusted as may be necessary.

To limit the downward movement of the seat we provide a bent brace 10secured at each end to the under side of the seat. The rearward part ofthe brace is formed as an arc of a circle struck from a point in theaxis of the cross bar and passes through a slot 11 in the standard 1. Ashoulder 12 is formed at the forward end of the arcshaped portionadapted to engage the forward side of the standard to limit theclownward movement of the seat. The forward part of the brace departsfrom the areshaped form and is extended farther toward the front of theseat, preferably as a tangent to the arc, so as to support the seat welltoward the front.

Collars or sleeves 13 are preferably secured to each end of the crossbar 2 to prevent lateral movement of the seat. These sleeves arepreferably formed as integral parts of arm rest-s 1 1 and are securedfrom movement preferably by means of rivets 15. The arm rests arepreferably made of metal with wooden tops 16 secured to the upper endsthereof.

For many purposes, and particularly for motormens use, the seat withouteither arm rests or back is sufficient. For many purposes a back isdesirable.

We secure the back to the F'device by means of a bracket 17 providedwith a sleeve 18 adapted to embrace the standard and held thereto in anysuitable manner. Preferably the sleeve is split and a clamping bolt 19provided, as the height of the back can thus be readily adjusted. Thebracket 17 extends up behind the seat, and the seat back frame 20 ishinged thereto by means of a pin 21. Shoulders 22 and 23 are provided onthe bracket and frame limiting the hinging movement of the latter ineither direction.

It is preferable that the seat back should normally tend to swingforward. We therefore provide on the hinge pin 21 the coil spring 24which fits between the bearing lugs 25 on the bracket 17. One end ofthis spring is engaged in one of the bearing lugs and the other endisfitted into a slot 26 formed in the pin 21. The head of the pin isprovided with a projection 27 adapted to fit into. any one of aplurality of holes 28 formed in the upper lug 29 of the seat back frame.When the parts are assembled the pin may be rotated until the desiredtension of the spring is obtained, and the projection 27 pressed intoone of the holes 28, the slot "26 permitting of the necessary endwisemovement of the pin. A nut 30 screwed on the other end of the pin thenkeeps all in place.

The spring 24 tends to move the seat back to the position shown in Fig.2. The seat back, however, is automatically thrown back by theengagement of part of the seat or its frame with the shoulder 22 on theseat back frame. Preferably a portion of the seat proper is cut away topermit the upper side of the rear part of the seat bracket 4 to thusengage the shoulder. With this engagement the brace 10 might bedispensed with, as the engagement of the seat bracket 4 with theshoulder 22 -of the seat back frame 20 tilts the latter back until theshoulders 23 engage, when further movement of either seat or back isprevented.

It will be seen from the construction described and shown that the seatmay be used without the arms or without both back and arms as desiredwithout material change in the construction. It will also be seen thatthe construction of the seat is simple, strong and cheap.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a folding seat, the combination of a metal standard; a cylindricalmetal cross bar Td to the top of the standard; a seat; a seat bracketsecured below'the seat provided with lugsjournaled on said cross bar;means limiting the downward hinging movement of the seat; and a coilspring surrounding said cross bar at one side of the standard andsecured at one end to said cross bar and at its other end to saidbracket.

2. In a folding seat, the combination of a metal standard; a cylindricalmetal cross bar Td to the top of the standard; a seat; a seat bracketsecured below the seat provided with lugs journaled on said cross bar;means limiting the downward hinging movement of the seat; a coilspringsurrounding said cross bar at one side of the standard; and acollar rotarily adjustable on the cross bar, one end of the spring beingsecured to said collar and the other to said bracket.

3. In a folding seat, the combination of metal standard; a cylindricalmetal cross bar Td to the top of the standard; a seat; a seat bracketsecured below the seat provided with lugs journaled on said cross bar;means limiting the downward hinging movement of the seat comprising abent brace rod secured at one end to the underside of the seat behindthe cross bar and at its other end in front of the cross bar, theportion of the brace adjacent the cross bar being formed as an arc of acircle struck from the center of the cross bar and terminating in arearwardly facing shoulder and the standard being provided with a slotthrough.

which the brace passes, the shoulder being adapted to engage thestandard at the for ward end of the slot.

the brace adjacent the cross bar, being.

formed as an arc of a circle struck from the center of the cross bar andterminating in a rearwardly facing shoulder and the standard beingprovided with a slot through which the brace passes, the shoulder beingadapted to engage the standard at the forward end of the slot, the partof the brace forward of the shoulder extending forward toward the frontof the seat at substantially a tangent to the arc to brace the front ofthe seat.

5. In a folding seat, the combination of a metal standard; a cylindricalmetal cross bar Td to the top of the standard; a seat; a seat bracketsecured below the seat vided with lugs journaled on said cross ar; aback supporting bracket provided with a sleeve secured on the standard;a back frame pivoted on said bracket, the bracket and frame beingprovided with shoulders adapted to engage to limit the swing of the backin either direction; and parts on said back frame and seat adapted toengage to limit the downwardhinging movement of the seat.

6. In a folding seat, the combination of a metal standard; a cylindricalmetal cross bar Td to the top of the standard; a seat; a seat bracketsecured below the seat provided with lugs journaled on said cross bar;

a back supporting bracket provided with a.

sleeve secured on the standard; a back frame pivoted on said bracket thebracket and frame being provided with shoulders adapted to engage tolimit the swing of the back in either direction; parts on said backframe and seat adapted to engage to limit the downward hinging movementof the seat; a

coil spring tending to swing the back forward; and a spring on the crossbar tending to swing the seat up.

7. In a folding seat, the combination of a metal standard; a cylindricalmetal cross bar Td to the top of the standard; a seat; a seat bracketsecured below the seat provided with lugs journaled on said cross bar;

means limiting the downward hinging movement of the seat; a backsupporting bracket provided with a sleeve secured on the standard; aback frame pivoted on said bracket,.130

the bracket and frame being provided with shoulders adapted to engage tolimit the swing of the back in either direction.

8. In a folding seat, the combination of a metal standard; a cylindricalmetal cross bar Td to the top of the standard; a seat; a seat bracketsecured below the seat provided with lugs journaled on said cross bar;means limiting the downward hinging movement of the seat; a backsupporting bracket provided with a sleeve secured on the standard; aback carried thereby; and arm rests provided with sleeves secured on theends of the cross bar.

Signed at Brantit'ord this first day of 15 March, 1917.

JOHN ALVIN BAWVTINHIMER. DAVID L. MILLER.

Witnesses:

AROHIBALD M. HARLEY, ELSIE WILMOT.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

